Men called to order

SHARE | Monday, 30 November 2015 | By Ontametse Sugar

In commemoration of the International Men’s Day the Ministry of Labour and Home Affairs alongside Dikgosi and gender-based organisations held a celebration for the men. Paramount Chief of Batlokwa Puso Gaborone - the Chairperson of Ntlo Ya Dikgosi - called men to order on how they should be at home and even in the community. The International Men’s Day was celebrated at Old Naledi grounds on November 19, with the place packed by both men and women.

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Gaborone urged men to be men of substance who respect themselves and everyone around them and not be ‘magwane’. He said that most of the time men are the ones who can either bring poverty in the house or make bread in the house. He blamed most men for the wayward behaviour of the boy children because they have not groomed them well as their fathers and guardians. “A man should be an example in the house of how their children should behave,” he said. One thing that Gaborone urged men to stop doing is bottling their feelings because that is why they end up exploding. He urged the churches to play a role in spiritually uplifting while dikgosi should play a role in cultural development. Old Naledi Kgosi Arnold Somolekae said now it is time for men who take their siblings to the clinic, men who change nappies and men who do school meetings. He urged men to stop domestic violence.

Senior Government official Montshiwa Montshiwa said real men do not do anything that harms their children or even the society that they live in. “We should say no to substance abuse, no to alcohol abuse, no to street harassment and no to gender-based violence,” he said. Retired football player Diphetogo Selolwane - the ambassador for Men and Boys Botswana - said he learnt a lot from the talks. He believes that the information that he got will help him to become even a better man.